Source: Netflix / Resident Evil
Resident Evil, a franchise long plagued by its lack of melanin when it comes to its main characters, is finally correcting that issue.
Friday (Jun.11), to close out its Geeked Week virtual showcase, Netflix revealed the cast for its upcoming live-action Resident Evil show. During the presentation, there were teasers presented as commercials from “sponsors” featuring Lance Reddick’s very distinguishable voice delivering messages regarding the fictional pharmaceutical company, the Umbrella Corporation.
Eventually, the hosts finally revealed that The Wire actor and the voice of Zavala from Destiny 2 would be taking on the role of Resident Evil’s iconic antagonist Albert Wesker marking the first time a person of color has been cast as the character who has been historically white in the franchise’s 25-year history.
Reddick wasn’t the only actor announced. A photo showing his castmates revealed that he would be joined by Ella Balinska (Charlie’s Angels), Tamara Smart (Artemis Fowl), Siena Agudong (No Good Nick), Adeline Rudolph (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and Paola Núñez (The Purge TV series) in yet-to-be-revealed roles.
According to the logline provided by Netlfix, the Resident Evil TV series takes place “Nearly three decades after the discovery of the T-virus, an outbreak reveals the Umbrella Corporation’s dark secrets.”
Entertainment Weekly reports that the show will be split across two timelines. The first timeline follows Wesker’s 14-year-old daughters Jade and Billie Wesker. The two siblings relocate with their dad to New Raccoon City and slowly learn their new surroundings are hiding a deeper, darker secret that could potentially lead to the destruction of the entire world.
The second timeline jumps more than a decade in the future to a world that has been decimated by the T-Virus, leaving less than 15 million people left on Earth. The rest of humanity has been turned into dangerous monsters or B.O.W.S (bio-organic weapons). Now 30, Jade is fighting to survive while uncovering secrets about her sister and father.
The show, written by showrunner and executive producer Andrew Dabb (Supernatural), has no release date and will be comprised of 8, 1-hour long episodes. The Resident Evil live-action is produced by Constantin Films, which also just wrapped filming the upcoming movie to reboot the film franchise that starred Milla Jovovich. Netflix will also be releasing Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, a CGI Anime series starring Resident Evil 2’s protagonists Leon Kennedy and Clarie Redfield, in July.
Resident Evil is currently enjoying a new wave of energy following the highly successful release of Resident Evil: Village. We expect the live-action tv show, the CGI film, and the new theatrical movie will only add to that.
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Photo: Netflix / Resident Evil
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